Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11: Only devices in India with Windows 8 RT

NEW DELHI: Lenovo's Yoga 11 is one of the only devices in India with Windows 8 RT — a cut down version of the full OS. The reason this device is called the Yoga is because you can use it in four different modes — as a laptop, in tent mode, stand mode and as a tablet.

The screen rotates smoothly and stays firmly fixed at any position. We feel that its a design flaw that in both tablet and stand modes, the keyboard faces the table, exposed to dust and scratches.

Lenovo has paid special attention to both the unique design and the overall build quality and finish of the Yoga. The exterior is sand-blasted aluminium — the unique treatments makes the surface matte, easy to hold, resistant to fingerprints and remains cool to the touch.

The palmrest has a faux leather finish which exudes quality. It has two USB ports, HDMI and a card reader on the side. The 11.6-inch touchscreen is sharp and responsive, but brightness could have been higher.

Performance was great for day-to-day usage, multimedia, office documents and Internet. Since this is Windows RT, you are restricted to apps available on the Windows Store. In a way, functionality is more like a tablet rather than a laptop.

Battery life is a phenomenal 10 hours — one of the best we have seen. However, the price is a deal breaker. For the same price, we would recommend that you go for HP's Envy x2 — it has similar hardware and performance, a detachable screen and the full Windows 8 OS.